Skilled Wages

Lineman salary in Rhode Island

Median $50.30 an hour for 120 electrical power-line installers and repairers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$50.30/hrMedian hourly wageRhode Island, May data
$104,620/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$34.96 – $60.1910th to 90th percentilehourly range
120Jobs countedemployer survey

Lineman pay in Rhode Island: the full range

Wage percentiles, Rhode IslandMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80/hrRhode Island: 10th $34.96 · 25th $37.46 · median $50.30 · 75th $58.96 · 90th $60.19Rhode Island$50.30$34.96$60.19United States: 10th $24.74 · 25th $32.34 · median $45.83 · 75th $52.76 · 90th $61.87United States$45.83
Hourly wage percentiles for electrical power-line installers and repairers: Rhode Island vs United States, May 2025.

Rhode Island ranks 18th of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 25th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $49.17). 120 electrical power-line installers and repairers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$34.96 – $37.46$72,710 – $77,920roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$37.46 – $58.96$77,920 – $122,640the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$58.96 – $60.19$122,640 – $125,200the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Lineman pay by metro in Rhode Island

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrProvidence: $54.39Providence$54.39
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers by metro area in Rhode Island, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Providence$35.73$54.39$60.381908% above

Lineman wages in Rhode Island over time

Rhode Island, 1999-2025Rhode IslandUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50$60200020052010201520202025$50.30Rhode Island$45.83United States
Median hourly wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers, Rhode Island vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearRhode Island $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$20.04$38.73$20.97—
2000$22.41$41.90$22.01100
2001$23.98$43.59$22.70210
2005$26.51$43.70$24.11210
2008$27.32$40.85$26.49—
2009$28.76$43.16$27.24170
2010$34.27$50.60$27.90230
2011$33.45$47.88$28.94250
2012$38.02$53.31$30.41310
2013——$30.85310
2014$27.80$37.81$31.70210
2015$29.19$39.65$31.95290
2016——$32.70300
2017$42.31$55.57$33.36—
2018$41.65$53.40$34.09350
2019$41.21$51.89$34.86270
2020$45.88$57.07$36.07220
2021$46.42$55.15$37.65150
2022$50.91$56.00$39.59150
2023$51.21$54.11$41.07140
2024$51.81$53.17$44.50210
2025$50.30$50.30$45.83120

In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in Rhode Island changed by +26.9% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in Rhode Island?

23.0kConstruction jobsRhode Island, 2026-08
-2.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20265k10k15k20k25k30k1990199520002005201020152020202523kAug 2026
Construction employment in Rhode Island (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Lineman pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Rhode Island

Questions this page answers

How much do linemans make in Rhode Island?

The median lineman in Rhode Island earned $50.30 an hour ($104,620 a year) in May 2025, 10% above the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $37.46–$58.96; the top 10% earn more than $60.19.

Where does Rhode Island rank for lineman pay?

Rhode Island ranks 18th of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $50.30 an hour, and 25th after adjusting for Rhode Island's cost of living (BEA price parity 102.3, US = 100).

What is the union lineman rate in Rhode Island?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a lineman classification for most Rhode Island counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many linemans work in Rhode Island?

BLS counted 120 electrical power-line installers and repairers in Rhode Island in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.27; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Rhode Island and metro areas, SOC 49-9051.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.